Leavenworth schools launch SummerBoost Camp

The school year for Leavenworth students ended before Memorial Day, but this week about 200 students have been coming to Henry Leavenworth Elementary School.

John Richmeierjrichmeier@leavenworthtimes.com

The school year for Leavenworth students ended before Memorial Day, but this week about 200 students have been coming to Henry Leavenworth Elementary School.

The children are attending the school each day as part of a new program called SummerBoost Camp.

The camp is free to students from Leavenworth public schools who were in kindergarten through the third grade during the 2013-14 school year, said Curtanya Lambert, a program coordinator.

She said the camp is not limited to only students from Henry Leavenworth Elementary School.

The program is designed to help prevent what is referred to as "summer learning loss" during break.

Lambert said the camp is intended to keep children reading so they won't be struggling when school resumes in the fall.

The program also focuses on other areas such as math and science.

"We also have physical activities," Lambert said.

SummerBoost Camp operates from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The program continues through July 11.

"The students get breakfast and lunch," Lambert said.

Jake Potter, spokesman for the Leavenworth school district, said the district was approached about establishing the summer program by Kansas Reading Roadmap program officials.

Kansas Reading Roadmap is a project of the state's Department of Children and Families.

Potter said Kansas Reading Roadmap was interested in establishing a program in this area of the state as well as in a district the size of the Leavenworth school system.

He said other entities such as Save the Children and Family and Schools Together are partnering with Kansas Reading Roadmap to offer the program.

He said the summer camp is being funded at no cost to the school district.

"We're basically the venue," he said.

Potter said district officials sometimes have to do a lot of heavy lifting to obtain program grants. But, they didn't have to do any of that for the SummerBoost Camp.

He said funding that's being provided for the program includes compensation for district employees who work at the camp as well as the cost of transportation provided to students.

Lambert said there are 20 teachers and four support staff from the Leavenworth district who are working at the camp. There also are four coordinators, each representing one of the district's elementary schools.

Lambert is the coordinator for Earl M. Lawson Elementary School.

The camp has almost reached its allotted 200 students, and Lambert said some parents are still signing up their children for the program.

She said slots for the camp initially were filled by children selected by their teachers. The program then was opened to other students.

There are plans to continue the program during the 2014-15 school year as an after-school program at the district's elementary buildings.

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